She's Leaving Home
by StrangeLittleSwirl
Summary: Zoe looked up at her boyfriend was that even the right word for what he was to her? Those three words almost popped out again, suddenly. It was happening more often.
1. In Which a Picture Perfect Smiler Smiled

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Title: She's Leaving Home

Author: Rose With Thorns

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Rating: T, for language

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Summary: Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

"Hey."

Zoe looked up and smiled. "Hi, Jeff."

He smiled back, albeit with some slight nervousness, and then in a move that probably took quite a bit of courage, yanked out the chair next to her and plopped down his bag. He let out a breath he'd been holding and gave her the nervous smile again.

Jeff was a very sweet guy. He held open doors, pulled out chairs, talked quietly, and dressed cleanly. Everything her mother would probably want in a guy for her to bring home. Unfortunately, he lacked a perfect personality to go along with it. The boy gave cardboard a run for its money in the character department.

She went back to her studying. It turned out once she'd screwed her head on, she was actually 'pretty damn smart', as her astounded guidance councilor told her. Two years of intense study behind her, she packed her suitcases and headed south to Georgetown, to study psychology (Lulu had made a snide remark about the fact that most people who went into to study it usually needed it). If her roommate, or any of her classmates had ever met her three years ago, they would not have recognized her.

Jeff was clearing his throat.

"So, I was wondering."

Uh-oh. Jeff had, as Tessa, her roommate so eloquently phrased it, 'been following her like a lost puppy dog' since school began. She'd been bracing herself for this.

Zoe had sworn off dating (except for in extreme situations) the moment she'd gotten her acceptance letter. And Jeff, no matter how blandly perfect he was, was not an extreme situation.

Zoe turned from her tablet PC and gave him her attention.

"I kinda sorta need a date for the ball and…"

This was still not an extreme situation.

He must have sensed her pending refusal, because he bolted forward in his seat. "Well, it really wouldn't be a date, because Tessa's going, and Richard from our English class? And it wouldn't be a double date or anything…"

…But a very conveniently chosen set of companions. Richard and Tessa had been making doe eyes at each other over Arthur Miller discussions for weeks now. But this was a once in every-four years and probably only this once in her lifetime opportunity.

"Um sure," she smiled. "Okay. I'd love to."

Jeffrey Tanner, practiced picture perfect smiler-smiled. "Great. Okay. Um, wow." He was blushing and stuttering and trying to get out of his chair all at the same time. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then."

He hoisted his duffel over his shoulder and staggered. Zoe studied it.

"Aren't they supposed to be keeping you safe? That bag weighs more than you."

By 'they' she meant the four-at least there were four visible at the moment-Secret-Service men strategically placed about the library. Getting to be friends with Jeff Tanner meant a thorough background search and metal detector swipe the first few time they went out to the college coffee house.

He shrugged, and started towards the exit. She was right, there had been some more guys. Seven, actually.

So this meant she'd need to find a dress. And get an appointment for her hair. And buy shoes. Crap, what an undertaking. She should have thought it out. This wasn't some schmazzy dance, it was the inauguration ball. Oh, Lordy.

She clicked on the icon for her virtual date book and added the information to a new checklist and got back to work. Dancing at the White House wasn't an acceptable excuse for flunking.

A.N.

Dedicated to the Cat and the Penguin…no, not from Batman

This is just another plot bunny that's been bothering me. There's no promise this will ever be finished. This is partly written because there needs to be a story _without_ Seth as the main character. He holds no appeal to me, nor does a Mary Sue for him, so you won't find that in this story. Zoe was a character with a _lot_ of potential, but they simply lumped her into the 'spunky teenage girl with an attitude problem'. That bothered me.

Now, I'm not saying my father was killed by a sniper. Nor am I saying my mother is at a bank in Europe, but I _do_ know what it means to have siblings relying on you. I _do _know what it's like to have them be something very precious to you, particularly after repeated 'bad' events in your life. I know what it's like to put them first, before you, before your wants and needs, and before the idea of a boyfriend crosses your mind. I know what it's like to simply be content in knowing they're safe. I guess Zoe's heart to heart with Shane in the movie may have been enough for some people, but not me. If she was trying to be strong, she should have really_ tried_. I'll chalk it up to her immaturity…We're around the same age and I would _never _say something like that unless I was there with them and visibly trying. I wouldn't leave it to a complete stranger to be the emotional support for my siblings after a traumatic situation.

Now before you all send me flames for that, let me point out this is _fan fiction, _thereby implying I am a _fan_. My comments are simply something I wanted to get off my chest. However, if you are deeply upset by my criticism of the writers of the movie, then flame away; if you agree, leave me a note saying that.


	2. See You Soon

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

* * *

_In a bullet-proof vest,  
With the windows all closed,  
I'll be doing my best,  
I'll see you soon_

_Coldplay,_ See You Soon

* * *

Tessa squeezed her hand and Zoe gave her a smile as they checked their appearances one last time before heading back out. They were standing in the bathroom, since girls never went to the bathroom alone, together. Tessa prodded at Zoe's bun, and she yelped. 

"I have a head under there, you know," she said, smoothing back the pieces that actually were pinned back. Why she ever let her friend Jordan, a fashion major, cut her hair she'd never know. What he called layers was really just plenty of bangs at different spots on her head that took meant a longer time to do her hair for tonight.

Because a ball for the Presidential Inauguration is not the sort of thing you schlep to. She'd begged a dress from Jordan's growing closet of dresses he'd made ( he was actually rather good), and had taken two hours on her hair and an hour before that on makeup. She deemed herself presentable after Jordan, who was their on call fashion EMT, had not tried to tackle her after she started towards the door.

The two girls headed back out into hallway and back to the large ballroom they were in. Jeff's parents had already come and gone, off to the next of many balls that night, but their son stayed behind with his friends.

The ball was gorgeous, all in gold and blues and there was fabric falling from the ceiling in a dramatic show. The tiny voice in the back of her head said to try to snag one-somehow-for Jordan as a 'thank-you', since he hadn't been invited. Maybe later she'd try.

Jeff looked over at her-she'd been conveniently seated next to him while Tessa and Richard had been placed together on the other side in a way that put Jeff between her and any contact with them. The security guards loomed around their table, and Zoe could only guess how many more lurked in shadows nearby. She wondered if it comforted Jeff to know that, as much as it had comforted her to know Shane Wolf had been doing the same a few years ago.

That was a sore subject, one that she'd tried very hard to suppress as best as possible. He'd gone over to Iraq right before her graduation. She and Shane had struck up a wonderful friendship via emails and letters. It had started as something she felt was obligatory, but then…it evolved. They were friends, and he knew her better than anyone else. Almost a year ago, it ended abruptly. Not being a family member she guessed that she just hadn't been on the notification list. And he had no family. With his mother missing, no one was sent that letter of condolence. It had been very difficult. The rest of the family had been upset, but for some reason it had hit her the most. Maybe because she had been the only one to try to keep up some sort of friendship with him. It was a year later and it still hurt like hell.

She turned her attention back to the ball. They danced. Tessa of course seemed to have molecularly bonded to dear old Dicky's arm and was doing a wonderful impression of that large handbag she always had with her during the day. Zoe danced with Jeff and made the polite small talk one was told to make when they were three and going to their parents' friends' home for the first time. There weren't any long, engaging conversation, nor laughter, nor any sort of anything that could have redeemed Jeff's behavior in her mind. But this was her once in a lifetime chance to be there, and she wasn't going to waste it.

They were seated again and were in the middle of listening to the Vice President give a speech before he left when Jeff's hand drifted towards Zoe's. She shifted slightly in her chair. The press was everywhere, and she had no plans on shooting him down in front of all of them. He did it again.

She started, idly, with that hand to make sure all of the hair pieces were still in. There were little rhinestone pins in the bun and if she lost one, well, hers would be the first death-by-gay man's nail file on campus. And she'd barely done anything with her life yet. Pity.

Zoe excused herself and started towards the bathroom once the Vice President was finished. And started briskly-well as briskly as she could in Channel's that she _really_ shouldn't have worn-towards the bathroom.

The hallway was around the corner, but the acoustics of the building had been designed masterfully, and it was a rather oppressive silence that fell on her as she rounded towards her destination.

The search of the bathroom proved to come up empty handed. She frowned. Zoe had almost been _sure_ she'd felt something fall out of her hair around here somewhere. As she exited the bathroom she noticed a man in a suit, with a rather gorgeous rear end she couldn't help but add to her thoughts, had kneeled and pick something up. It glimmered in the lights from over head. Zoe put on her best formal voice.

"Is that a hair pin, sir? I think that's mine. I was looking-" Her words were stuck in her throat.

He looked amazing, he was looking at her in a way she'd _never _seen , and to top it all off, he was alive. Zoe didn't know which to approach first, but then the emotional part of her took over and she found her self resolving into a blubbering mess.

"Shane?"

Zoe watched as his Adam's apple rose quite visibly. Her stomach started to drop.

"Hi-hello, Zoe. You look-wow."

There was an awful tightness in her chest. Oh it hurt to breathe! She focused on the pin.

"That's mine. If you could please give it back." She stuck her hand out. His made contact with her as the object was placed back in her palm. Such polar opposites, the softness of his hands and the sturdy metal hair pin.

"Thank you," she said shortly, putting it in her purse. She fiddled with the little handbag to keep from having to look at him.

"Zoe, listen, I was going to tell you-"

"No that's quite fine, Shane Wolf." Breathe girl, breathe! "Um, I have to get back to ball." She turned quickly but then decided to say something else. "Shane, glad you're not dead. See you around."

He called her, but she kept going.

* * *

Tessa pounced on her the second she sat down, dragging her chair around a fairly disappointed Jeff. Alas, someone had been able to defeat his super cardboard powers, Zoe noted vaguely. Her roomie gave her that maternal look she always did. 

"Everything okay?"

Zoe nodded curtly before turning her attention back to the speaker, some squat little man with a horrible toupee. "Later," she mouthed, since her voice wasn't working suddenly. She swallowed heavily. Tessa took her hand and squeezed it.

It had suddenly hit her that their had been a cord tucked into Shane's shirt. It was skin colored and looked like an old telephone cord. It was part of one of the earpieces the Secret Service used.

As dancing continued again and she numbly went through the motions, she noticed movement at the sides of the room. Something was going on.

Zoe watched for some sign over Jeff's shoulder, wishing she'd learned how to read lips. She was so deep in thought she didn't notice when someone interrupted to dance with her. Shane.

As he took her hand and she distanced herself as best as she could with his wonderfully warm and strong arm on her back, she steeled her self.

"Aren't you on duty?"

He nodded, not surprised she knew. After a good minute of awkward dancing that to anyone else must have looked strange, he pulled her closer. She'd never been attracted to him but with his warm breath on her ear, and his embrace so wonderful…

"We need to get Jeff out of here. I'm going to hand you back off to him, and you tell him that all four of you need to go to the bathroom, okay?" It was a little jumbled. He must have barely moved his lips.

She nodded. And suddenly Jeff had pulled her back into his sweaty palmed grip. She forced herself to make eye contact.

"Jeff, I think we all need to go to the facilities."

He raised an eyebrow.

"All _four _of us." When she realized he had no idea of what she was talking about, she grabbed his hand forcefully and tapped Richard on the shoulder, Tessa peeked over the tall boy's shoulder. Zoe repeated herself and the group started towards that hallway. By the end of the night the carpet would be worn bare by all the times she'd walked the same route.

There was a small group of Service men at the end of the hallway, including Shane. They flanked them and suddenly they were being led to a parking lot. Many of the guards got into other cars. Jeff was even starting to look alarmed.

Shane wasn't getting into a car.

"Aren't you-" she said, hand hovering on the door handle.

He shook his head. "I have to stay. My job."

Some little voice in the back of her head screamed that something was not right. He must have seen it in her face. His hand gently pushed her into the car and closed the door. He thumped the roof of the car twice and the car peeled out. The others were too busy talking to notice she'd turned around in her seat to watch as he ran back inside, and the van turned the corner.


	3. Need Some Sleep

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

_

* * *

I need some sleep  
Time to put the old horse down  
I'm in too deep  
And the wheels keep spinning 'round  
Everyone says I'm getting' down too low  
Everyone says you just gotta let it go  
You just gotta let it go  
Eels, I Need Some Sleep_

* * *

"-have not been confirmed, we have been tipped off to a bomb inside the ball. While the president was no longer inside the building, at this point it was suspected-"

One of the agents changed the channel to some football game.

They were in a building at a "undisclosed location", though she never thought she'd be able to say she'd been in one. Zoe was chewing a fingernail, staring blankly at the TV. Tessa was resting her head on her shoulder. Richard was dozing.

Jeff had been removed and taken someplace safer. They stayed behind. Someone had given them changes of clothing. At the time, everyone was basically locked down; until the situation became clearer no one was allowed to leave.

"Could you explain to me why-"

Zoe jerked her shoulder up and Tessa lost her perch. She shook her head. "Later, okay Tess? Right now is not the time," she whispered quickly.

The hours seemed to pass in silence. Someone turned a lamp on. She squinted.

_

* * *

She squinted._

_"You're going to write, aren't you?" Zoe looked up to Shane, a step on the escalator above her. His head was lost in the glare as they reached the upper level, but she could make out his nod, exaggerated by the bag over his shoulder from the quick jerk of his upper body. Lulu was a few stairs below, sulking with her CD player on, the rest of the children and her mother below them. _

_He was flying down South to train for a few weeks before shipping out. The school had thrown him a party, a small little thing that was really over before it started. She and her siblings were upset at the lack of gratitude from her classmates, too busy fighting over that Moore movie. Here Shane was, going off to risk his life, and they couldn't care less. They were too busy complaining about the fact that there were men who were over there, and that they hated the current events. She'd aired her thoughts to Shane afterwards._

_Here they were, the last call for his plane. The others shuffled forward and gave awkward, quick hugs, barely touching him, followed by a brief 'goodbye'. Her mother held him close, as if it was Seth standing before her, leaving. Shane had become another son to her. She patted his arm and stepped back, teary._

_Shane took a quick glance outside, and she followed his gaze. It was one of those beautiful, sunny days that always lasted in memories. It caused her to squint, though. _

_"So…" he trailed off. Zoe looked down for a moment, combat boots, and old beat up sneakers next to each other on a worn blue carpet filled her vision. _

_"Everyday?"_

_"Everyday what?"_

_"You'll write me everyday."_

_"Is that a question or a command?"_

_"A little of both, I guess. At least once a week, alright?"_

_"Yes," he said, with an air of retaliation, dropping his bags finally. He gave her a chastised look, and Zoe laughed, feeling a smile reach her eyes for the first time in a long while. Only Shane…_

_He could die. His could be the face on the newspaper front, harking to all the war was wrong. She could be the one to know he fought for something that was right and that his death would sting but it was in the name of a just cause. She could be hearing his voice and rolling her eyes at him for the last time._

_Zoe threw herself at him, settling for arms around his middle since she was too short to get them where they should be. He wrapped his around her shoulders. _

_"I'm going to miss you." She could feel him shrug, although her face was squashed against his chest._

_"You'll be too busy enjoying college. Please, go enjoy college, okay?"  
__"Just come back when you're finished."_

_He squeezed her tighter. "I will."_

* * *

"We have been able to find a live security camera connection inside the building. We are now going to patch into the…"

"How the hell did they get that?"

"Shit!"

Two of the men ran closer to the screen. There, on the screen was a grainy, black-and-white view of the ballroom. Zoe leaned forward.

She recognized him immediately from his quick, agile movements. It was amazingly distinct. She said nothing, fear clutching at her throat.

"They found it, I think," one of the men murmured. Now all three college students were standing near the screen, eyes wide as they watched. The other agreed.

"Doesn't that mean that who ever planted it knows they found it?"

The other two whipped around and looked at her. "If they wanted the coverage, they have it. If they blew the building up now, everyone would see." Panic gripped her insides.

Both men dived for a phone. Not that it would probably do anything, she realized, with a sickening feeling. Zoe backed up until her knees hit the chair and she crumpled in it. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen. Things weren't as clear as they were before, and it seemed like a white noise had taken over. Was it the television or her? There was frantic movement on the screen and she lost her sight of him. The others were yelling. The screen was clearing. They were evacuating. One man fell. Another came back for him. It was Shane. The two ran. A flash went off.

And the screen went black, then started to snow. The news anchor man took back over, somber and showing just the right amount of fear. The room really was silent, now. Everyone was staring with shock at the screen.

They switched to another reporter, standing in smoke and debris. By the bend of her knees and her hair in her face, anyone could tell she'd just barely recovered from what happened.

And as Zoe watched what may have been that anchorwoman's last report, her brain sprinted its way through several thousand thoughts that would have normally taken at least a full day to formulate normally, and simply shut down. She felt cold.

In the chaos that followed they found out several were killed in the blast. Most were able to be evacuated. A few were hospitalized. Investigations were still going on.

The sun was coming up. Although she couldn't see it through the shuttered and latched windows (further observation led her to believe she was in some sort of apartment), her internal alarm was kicking her in the face for staying up an entire night without sleep. Somebody got coffee for everyone, bit it did little for her.

At eight thirty they got a call, saying they were cleared to leave. Tessa and Richard got up with a tired sigh and lumbered towards the door. Zoe didn't follow.

"Excuse me," she said finally. She should know. If she had to tell Lulu and the others then she should know as soon as possible. "Is there anyway to find out if someone is in the hospital? One of those men?" she asked, pointing at the T.V.

The agent looked uneasy for a moment and she rushed forward. "He's a family friend. I need to know. Please?"

He nodded and dialed, then asked her his name. A little bit of hope had found its way into her shoulders, and it was taking all of her strength at this point to keep herself together.

In the eternity that followed, Tessa hissing at the door caught her attention. Her roommate was giving her a 'dish immediately' look that she ignored. Zoe wrapped her arms around her middle.

Zoe was also aware that everyone was watching her.

The agent on the phone nodded and she held her phone as he set the phone back down.

Zoe waited.

"I'll take you to the hospital."

Relief washed over her and she closed her eyes for a moment.

* * *

"_Hey Zoe, have you heard from Shane recently?" _

_Zoe opened her eyes. This was not the sort of conversation for table. Stuffing a forkful of green bean casserole in her mouth she purposely mumbled. Her mother gave her an impatient look._

_"No."_

_"But you two were talking nearly everyday."_

_Surprising, that. Zoe had been sure her mother had been too busy with her real estate job to notice what was going on. With no hired help in the house, Seth and Zoe had taken up most of the chores. Her few minutes to herself before sleep took over were usually spent typing a quick note to Shane. She swallowed the food slowly._

_"Exactly." Did her mom understand what she was trying to say? Neither of the two had ever been able to communicate well._

_"He's probably busy."_

_Zoe stared. None of the kids understood what was going on either,e ach too busy with their food or talking to one another. She sighed. "I guess."_

_She never got a letter after that._

* * *

"What exactly is your relation to him?" the nurse asked, looking over her clipboard. There was a twinge in her chest; it was a feeling of sadness. He didn't have any family, anyone close to be notified about his injury.

Or did he?

That was a blow she'd have to field later on. Now she needed to see him.

The Agent who drove her in-McDuffey-flashed his badge, and the nurse nodded. McDuffey said a quick goodbye and left before she could thank him. Zoe followed the nurse.

"He's sleeping. I would be too if I were him. Just make sure he rests."

Zoe smiled, a genuine one, even if it was a tired one.

He looked pale, although that was probably the lights. There was gauze on his shoulder and she could make out more underneath the hospital gown, thanks to the bumps left by it. There were small scratch marks on his face, probably from shrapnel.

The seat next to the bed was an uncomfortable, blue, rough thing that Zoe took without a second thought. It smelled like a hospital. It smelled like bad food. She was sure she could even smell his gauze.

Aninstinct made her take his hand, a bit cold, butit was still warmer than hers where and had the weight that reality caused everything to have. He was alive and in a hospital bed. Zoe started to crumble.

"Zoe?" his voice cracked, it shot upwards at the end. She caught herself from letting into a sob. With the best grin she could muster she turned to face him.

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?" he struggled to sit up and gain consciousness.

"Seeing how you are. Hey, the nurse said none of that. Rest, young man."

The rest of the conversation was pure bravado on both parts. Neither said anything about the fact that Shane was nearly blown up only hours ago, or that they picking up a friendship they'd left off on a year ago. Before was awkward, now it was comfortable.

When she looked at the clock on his bedside table, Zoe realized she had a paper she had to work on. She stiffly got out of the chair.

"Leaving?"

She nodded, but started to scramble through his drawer for paper and pen. "If you ever um, you know, want to talk or get coffee…Well, this is my cell. The thing's basically glued to my hip, so um…" When did she revert to the eloquence of a nine year old? "I'm going to leave, so you can sleep."

He nodded and fell back asleep almost immediately, which surprised her. The nurse caught her on her way out. She was the maternal sort.

"Darlin', do you need to call a taxi?"

"I was-You know I never thought of that. Thank you."

The blonde, older woman waved a hand at her, then took hers and guided her to a phone.

Tessa was waiting up for her when she got back home.

"Alright, I want an explanation, and I want one like last week!" The computer chair turned around. Jordan was eating popcorn and watching TV.

"Dish…after you give me back those hairclips."

Zoe threw the plastic baggy at him and continued to her room. Not now. Maybe when she got up. But not now. Right now she needed to take everything off and crawl into bed. Sleep would solve a lot of things.


	4. Ben, Jerry, Oprah, and maybe Martha

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

**Disclaimer:** I may visit it, but I don't own Disney or anything related to it. THAT MEANS PACIFIER.

**

* * *

A.N-a BIG one…**

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know I now have a livejournal-come check it out if you wanna…just me rambling but ya never know. My name over there is allisonsayne.

And in the spirit of creativity, let's all try to be as original as possible. Especially in a fandom with only 21 fics so far. Pretty easy, ma friends.

_Dedicated to my newold car, Putt-Putt aka 'You Son of a Bitch Freakin' Accelerate Already'_

* * *

"There's a perfectly logical excuse for my lateness, Rosie," Zoe sputtered as the overweight, short woman huffed her way to the back of the bookshop. She started after her. "You see, last night-er, the night before I was at that b-"

Zoe stood in the manager's doorway with hair still wet from her two minute shower, her sneaker heels folded in from when she had thrust her feet in them quickly, and a grass stain on one knee from falling after sprinting across a landscaped area of the campus to get to her work after she woke up late.

Rosie turned, a clear look of disproval on her face. "If the events of something that took place two night's prior effect your ability to come in on time for your shift, than you either needed to have reconsidered who your friends are or how much you wanted this job. I'm sorry Zoe."

"But it wasn't-"

"Zoe, that's final. I've got a list of kids who want employment here that's about two blocks long." She shook her head to get a frizzy dark curl out of her face as she furiously struck a line through Zoe's name. The blonde girl's shoulders sank, dejectedly. Working at the book shop was boring, anyway. Honestly, who liked books?

Her. And the coffee was amazing. She'd miss it.

"Now, if you could so kindly turn in your shirt and apron by later today, then that's all I need to say to you."

Zoe was cut off with a meaty finger wagged in her face when she tried again. With a growl she turned and started for the door-only to find coffee straight down the front of her shirt.

Stupid freshmen. This one was a gangly with horrible dreadlock the size of cocktail franks. Zoe stormed pass amidst applause from some of the older students and the kid's apologies. Part of her wanted to take of the shirt then and there, but the more logical part of her-rather, the non-nudist part- protested.

Chest throbbing as she made her way across landscaping, she rummaged through her canvas knapsack, the one she never let Jordan see out of fear of his fashion wrath, for her cell phone. The #4 button-Tessa's cell phone speed dial button-now faced her own wrath and she dug a nail into the rubber coated button

"Tess," she started when her friend's voice picked up, but it was her voicemail. Zoe hit the end button.

And then the sprinklers turned on.

Well, that would get part of the coffee out of the shirt for sure. But it was white. A guy rollerblading by catcalled.

The dash back to her rooms (with her arms folded across her chest) seemed to take forever. She bumped into a tour guide, wearing pristine white, who cried indignantly at her back as she ran past. Panting, she rested her head on the back of the door after she locked it.

She never wrote that paper that had been due two hours ago. Fittingly, it had been a large chunk of her grade. Well, _shit_.

Zoe Plummer couldn't keep a job.

She couldn't walk five steps without bumping into someone or something.

She couldn't keep her mind on her class work and would now probably fail it

And Shane Wolf had allowed her to believe he was dead, just so he could get out having to communicate with her. He had probably only been nice to her in the hospital out of compulsion.

The last thought undid her, causing her to slip into an oily, muddy and dark pool of self pity. The tears came involuntarily, hot and warm on her clammy cheeks. She slumped onto the couch. Screw the paper. She was in the middle of a mood swing the size of John F. Kerry's forehead and the only solution would be her two friends Ben and Jerry and some _Lifetime_. Maybe Oprah or Martha, too.

The remote wouldn't work because of the large flower piece in the way, so she started to study them. Who sent them, Tessa's new human handbag? The guy was cute but not the smartest thing on the planet. A little bit of Roommate Curiosity made its way up past the Marsha Marsha Marshmallow on its way down. She picked up the note.

A bright pink Post-It Note, obviously Tessa's was tacked to the front. Zoe frowned.

_This came for you right after you left for work (good luck with that uberbitch Rosie, btw)._

_I wanna know who its from, what exactly did you do, how naughty it was, and if he has a brother._

_Tessa_

Zoe dropped her spoon back into the cardboard container and leaned forward. Who the hell would-

_Zoe,_

_I don't think I can say I'm sorry enough on a piece of paper this big, since the woman at the counter is already staring at me, so here it goes._

_I realize now not letting you know I was back was wrong. Really, really wrong. And I'm sorry for that. It was fueled by some pretty stupid thoughts that I'll tell you in person. If you're that forgiving and ever talk to me again. God that sounded lame._

_I don't want to lose our friendship; it's important to me. I think if we talk about it that maybe we can see this as a minor hole (okay, pothole) in our friendship. You gave me your number but I never gave you mine, so if you want to talk to me (since that would mean you're Mother Theresa) here's mine._

_Shane _

Underneath was his number, in those clear, decisive strokes that characterized his handwriting. If she closed her eyes she could see his pen making them.

Zoe looked up at the screen. Somebody was poking at a dead fish in bowl. Probably would end up with her thinking about suicide, judging from the other films she'd seen on the channel.

Picking up the phone was as natural as anything she'd ever done, as was dialing his number. With bated breath she waited for him to answer.

"Hello?" he asked. His voice was still a little crackly. Well, a little _more_ than it ever was.

"It's Mother Theresa."

"Zoe," he breathed. A momentary pause on both ends.

"Yeah." It was a horrible filler for the gravid pause. A bit like asking about the weather.

"Hey," he responded, just as lamely. Zoe started to pick at the pillow in her lap.

"So, I read your note, obviously," she added, scolding herself. "And no, nothing about it sounded lame." She sucked in a deep breath, feeling congealed ice cream in her mouth as she did. Yup. The girl was on the roof on TV. With vodka. Zoe felt due for a good drink, too.

"Our friendship means a lot to me, too. And as long as, you know." Brilliant. Put her in some Garanimals and pigtails at this rate. "It wasn't that you didn't _want_ me knowing you were back, or that you forgot abo-"

"Never," he said firmly. That comforted her.

"Um, good. Okay. Well, as long as it wasn't either of those, than I accept your apology."

Pause, silence. Oh, the girl was off the ledge now, with some guy. That was good.

"Good. That's a relief," he breathed. He was pacing his apartment. She could tell from his voice. He was probably wearing his old white shirt and kakis, a hand at the base of his head. "So…how's your day going?"

"Fine," she said, maybe too quickly.

"You sure? It sort of sounds like you were crying and-Was that because of me?"

"What? Oh. Oh, no, Shane. I just-it's one of those days, you know?" She looked over at her calendar. Six red dots were on the next six days following the current one. She coul set a clock by her-That would explain things.

"Well, tell me about it."

And Zoe did.

* * *

"Can you take these by the coffee shop later on?" Zoe asked as she handed Tessa a plastic bag. The girl gave her a sympathetic look.

"Oh, honey did the Bitch-Lord strike back? I am so sorry." Zoe shrugged.

"It was only for pocket money, anyway. Remember, I'm the spoiled bitch who's fully paid for all of her tuition and books?" Tessa rolled her eyes, but then noticed the envelope from the flowers had been moved. The redhead stuck an elbow into her roommate's ribs.

"Sooo?"

Zoe was to busy scrubbing dishes. "So what?" she asked distractedly.

"So did you read my Post-It and the note? Explain."

Zoe sighed, leaning into the Formica counter. Tessa still thought Shane was dead, from what Zoe had told her. This would be a long conversation. "Remember how I told you about Shane, my friend-"

"The guy whose death will probably lead to yours as a virgin because you still pine over him? Oh yeah, fully acquainted."

The blonde chose to ignore her. "Do you remember that guy who danced with me?"

"The one who was like nibbling on your ear?"

"He wasn't-" she growled. "That's Shane."

Tessa dropped her spoonful of icing. "He pulled a Jesus?"

"Tess!"

The girl held up her hands in a sign of surrender. Zoe continued.

"He was the guy who saved that man who was left at the ball, from the explosion? I was visiting him when I went to the hospital. He sent the flowers."

"He pulled a Jesus twice? Wow, honey." Tess jumped up on the counter edge after she reclaimed the spoon from the floor. Zoe winced. "So, what are the flowers for? Did you save his life? Did he come back from the dead because he never got to f-"

"Hey!" Zoe screeched, pushing the girl. "He sent them as an apology for allowing me to believe he was dead."

"Did he say why?"

"No-well, sort of. He said he'd tell me later."

"Ah," her roommate said matter-of-factly. "It's probably his undying love for you. Best bet." The girl's face softened into a look of real concern. "Babe, I know I'm your best friend-I mean, it was either me or that weird impressionistic dancer as a roomie-and I don't mind cleaning up around here, but you have to promise me he's not going to break your heart. That's something I don't want to have to clean up after. Terribly messy."

Zoe shook her head furiously, in complete earnest, then gave a small laugh. "He'd never-since we're only _friends_."

Tess shrugged and put the icing back into the fridge- spoon and all. "All I'm going to say dear, is that if he _does,_ then I can promise him I can find some hydrochloric acid and a spare bathtub and little mister 'dead then alive then dead then alive again' won't be heard from again."

"You were watching CSI again, weren't you?"

The other girl walked out of the room singing the theme song.


	5. Mermaid Malfunctions

**Sorry it's been so long. Life moves on and now I'm off to school in literally a few days. But along with it comes a wonderful shiny new laptop and more time on my hands, so I can assure you the few chapters left in this story will be finished quickly. I hope. Heh. Enjoy!**

"Are you coming or what?" he called over his shoulder. Zoe huffed her way up the path. She reached forward, while gasping, and finally caught a finger's worth of his sweatshirt. It was enough; she dug her heels in and Shane stopped. It was really out of politeness, not her strength. He turned around with a small smile.

"Not able to keep up?"

"No! It's okay if you go ahead; just don't keep trying to have a conversation with me." Zoe didn't like that smile. "Alright, so you're faster than me. I'm still the queen of hot wings and bowling," she said, referencing the other night.

"And Tessa still holds the crown for Beer Belching" he shuddered and then looked at his watch. "Getting kind of late. You've got class and I've got work. If you don't start speeding it up we're going to have to cut our morning jogs short."

She crossed her eyes at him. "Watch it, buddy. I'll make sure you're working one of these days and ask Jeff to go to a Celine Dion concert or something."

His expression darkened. He jammed his hands into his pant pockets and kicked a stone. The closest school building was starting to spring to life, students milling about. He was the oldest person on the jogging trail, and in sight. "That brings up a good point, actually. About work."

The blonde girl looked up. "Something wrong?"

"It's just that-I mean, don't take this wrong." So of course, she started to brace herself for the worst. "But it's just that I can't really talk to you like I did the other day. I got _reamed_ for it."

Zoe groaned. She'd found him while she and Jeff where in the library and had started a conversation about her brother's new role. The look on Jeff's face had been priceless.

"Oh." She nodded, playing with the sleeve of her jacket. His, actually. She hadn't expected it to be so cold.

"I didn't think about the ramifications of our relationship," she hastily added, "not that we have-you know-_that_ sort of relationship but a friendship but I couldn't think of this word last night-well, Tessa couldn't and I was reading the 'R' section of the dictionary and-you know ramification sort of stic-"

"Okay!" he said, holding up his hands in a sign of surrender. "I get it. And don't worry about it."

They started to trot again, and Zoe felt she should break the falling silence. "It's not like Emily Post or Martha Stewart ever wrote something on 'How to Balance a Friendship When Said Friend Protects the President's Son'. We're just going to have to feel our way through this."

"Fine with me," the soldier agreed.

* * *

"Speaking of fine, where's soldier boy, Zoe?" said Jordan a few days later as the friends sat a café table (_another_ coffee shop, not the one Zoe worked at; Jordan said he needed to give her a makeover so she could pull off a 'pretty woman' moment at the shop). Jeff was off being the president's son. Shane was traipsing around after him.

"Off doing his job, you know that thing you're supposed to go to, work a little, bitch a lot, then get paid for it so you can repay your student loans?" Zoe said testily. She was still bitter about coffee shops. In general.

The man on the opposite side of the table, however, was in a wonderful mood. Jordan had sold one of his gowns last week to a boutique and they had requested more from him. There had been quite a number of 0s at the end of the paycheck. He just shrugged and went back to trying to soften his biscotti with his drink, a seemingly unattainable task.

"Hey, I'm _loaded_, honey-and that blazer? Zoe," he chided, her name seeming to go on forever.

She looked dubiously down at her blazer. It was corduroy and a tan color. Insomnia had finally let her win a round and nap, but it had left her with little time to meet her friend (and five minutes really wasn't any time at all) with actual clothing on. She'd left her tank top on from the night before and switched to slacks, covering her bare shoulders with the jacket in the November air. Christmas displays were already being assembled in some of the shops she and Jordan had been to earlier.

"I didn't sleep, okay?" she said testily. In high school, fashion had been a concern, now making Professor Calvert's class on time with her Blood-Sweat-and-Tear Generated Paper-of-the-Week on time was enough. That and well, making her jogging dates with Shane. And then there was the Star Trek convention Tessa made her _promise_ to go to months before. Somehow half of her former hall mates back from her Harbin Hall days ended up being there, looking oddly comfortable with the fact that Tessa was getting into a fight about Spock's undeclared love for another character. Or something.

A sigh from Jordan brought her back to the present. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand good-naturedly. "I think two of you would sleep better at night if you just _told_ him, honey."

She threw a hard crumb from the biscotti at him. "Ugh, the two of you should just move in and be the Hoya equivalent of Will and Grace-"

"-But we never used to date-"

"Still! You both think that if you serve as a united front and _nag_ me to death I'll do what you say. Not happening. Not as long as I'm trying to have a friendship with the security guard of another person I'm trying to be friends with."

"I wouldn't hurt to-"

She gave him an incredulous look. "What, have been breathing fumes for your glue gun again? It could hurt-_If_, you know, I felt that way about him. Which I don't." She quickly added.

Jordan stared at her, his large expressive brown eyes taking in how she nervously busied herself with the brown sugar packets.

"Right," he said finally. She didn't like how he said it at all.

* * *

"Freedom!" cried Zoe as she burst out of the lecture hall. It was a three hour course in the basement lecture room, which meant archaic seats and no windows. Pushing the strap of her bag into place, she started the long way towards her apartment, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her winter jacket. The church bells rang as sirens passed and she picked her way through the construction and moved towards Donovan Dining Hall.

Truth was, being around Shane was doing strange things to her stomach, recently. Not bad strange. The good kind of strange. Like molten chocolate _and_ butterflies. Maybe puppies too.

Of course going around beaming and drooling all over one's best friend was _not_ the way to have a working, unconventional friendship. The logistics of everything were still confusing her.

And it was just as she passed the poster in front of the dining hall (the one that had been there for forever), Zoe Plummer set her mind on telling Shane Wolf exactly how she felt. So what if he didn't feel the same way; a few semesters in somewhere far off and hard to pronounce might do her good.

She was anxious to get to the library, where Jeff was waiting for her in another perfectly pressed polo shirt and khakis. When she reached down to pull out her laptop she noticed his pristine shoes. She wondered if he ever wore shoes more than once.

Jeff was saying something about a club he'd heard of, and she may have heard 'you know my dad's friend Clinton? As in the former president?' somewhere in there, which was usually a sign he was trying to impress someone and usually it was her, but Zoe was really just trying to get a peak at Shane wherever he was lurking. No, lurking wasn't the right word. Guarding in all his he-man perfection from some very sexy (and lucky) shadows.

"So what do you say?" ask Jeff, and then she crash-landed on earth.

There was an eloquent moment or two where she simply made a guttural noise as she tried to mentally rewind the conversation, but it didn't really work.

"Uh, yes?" she said. For all she knew he may have been asking her a math problem but she just didn't quite want to hurt his easily hurt President-son-feelings.

Apparently it was the right answer. "Great. Thanks-I mean," he cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair, putting on a blasé expression. "Cool."

The rest of the study session past quickly, with no sign of Shane. Zoe had just come back from retrieving her typed chapter outline from the printer when Jeff stood up, nervously pecked her on the cheek and then grinned.

"So I guess it's a date on Saturday then, huh?" he said as he passed. Zoe was left simply sputtering at the hulking backs of his guards and crumpling some defenseless 8xll sheets of paper.

* * *

"You said 'uh, yes'?" shrieked Tessa, extricating herself from the couch. Behind her a morning talk show host was trying to emerge from a clamshell onto a stage with quite a bit of technical difficulty on the stage. Blue tinsel was stuck on everyone on the screen. The blonde woman didn't look very happy.

"I think so?" answered Zoe uncertainly, staring dejectedly at her Lemonade Vitamin Water. Tessa growled in frustration as she jumped over the couch to shake her roommate. That was specifically noted as a no-no in this year's roommate contract they had created.

"People lose kidneys when they pull stunts like that!"

"By dating Jeff?" Zoe asked, dazed and confused.

"No! By-" Tessa shook her head. "You didn't even know what the question was. For all you knew it was 'Zoe will you make me the happiest politician's son on the planet and join me in a future of botoxed and bleached happiness 'til death do us part'?" She shuddered.

"Well, it's too late to back out now."

Tessa followed Zoe into her room, relentless.

"You could say you realized that you have a final to study for." Zoe glared.

"Um, you've suddenly become Pagan and have to prepare for All Hallow's Eve at the end of the month, since you're the sacrificial virgin? It's plausible, you know."

Zoe threw a pillow at her. "Remember that whole, 'what happens when you get locked in a closet together stays in the closet' thing? You are _not_ supposed to talk about that!"

Jordan of course, would have something witty to say involving Shane and his manliness coming to save the day. Zoe realized she needed new friends; she could argue with them and lose when they weren't even there.

The phone rang and Zoe answered.

"Bitch, don't _tell_ me you are going on a date with Jeff!" Zoe closed her eyes.

"Okay. I won't, Jordan."

Both of her friends gave aggravated shrieks before leaving her alone. Zoe fell back into her pillows-the one with the beads on it dug into her back-and stared at the ceiling. No matter how much she tried to convince herself of the harmlessness of it all, it wasn't working.


	6. A Tornado in Jimmy Choos

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language; Tessa's horrific mind

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoe, Shane, or any of the other Disney characters, but Tessa and the other obvious ones are mine, peeps.

* * *

_A/N: Updated that quickly? Crazy, I know, but the whole college thing is working out very well. It's really nice to see that people are placing me on their alert lists, but I really, really, really like reviews. I'll be trying to answer all of them. The hit count as of this moment is 7,300 hits. I've already worked on the cover for the fanmix that will come out once this baby hits 10,000 (hey, I'm optimistic). For now sleep and then classes.  
_

_ Also, I'm going to updating my livejournal (see my profile for the link), so check it out if you want to know a little more about me, or about the whole college thing; drop me a line in the comments and I'll try to get back to you promptly. Lemme know if anyone wants the super-special icon I have chillin' there..._

* * *

Blaring beats and swirling lights fell upon the alcohol soaked group of beautiful people. Perfectly dressed men and women danced without thoughts to morals or the next morning. They were there. They were now. They might as well make the best of it and have a good time. 

Zoe Plummer was not part of that crowd. Zoe Plummer, eyelids sticky with makeup that was _seriously_ not holding up to the heat rising from the dance floor were she sat in the VIP loft, was having a miserable time. She was slouched, well as slouched as she could be in a short blue dress, texting her brother who was gushing about a new boyfriend and how amazing he was. Shane was, of course, nowhere to be found after they had entered.

Figured. And she'd dressed with _him_ in mind.

"Ohmigawwwd," drawled Tessa, falling over Richard. Her hair was sticking out in various directions, and her forehead was shining. Richard was breathless and his shirt clung to him where he'd sweated. "We are sooo coming back here more often."

"It smells."

Richard laughed, a little to loud, at something Jeff had said, Tessa tilted her head and studied her friend. "Are you alright?"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Yes, Wendy-Mother. Just, well, thinking."

After a furtive look over her shoulder at boy getting too much attention from people with cell phones below. There were several flashes every few seconds from cell phones and cameras pointed up at the VIP loft. That, combined with the fingers pointed, started to make Zoe wish she were curled up on the couch, or that she would just leave and finally tell Shane and get it over with.

Tessa, apparently catching breath in record time, dragged Richard back down the precariously steep metal stairs back to the dance floor. They soon got lost in the crowd.

The couch seat vibrated out of sync with the music, and Zoe picked it up. Did Seth mention his boyfriend was from D.C.? Yes, yes he had.

Jeff was saying something to her, just as some shrill, descending notes were being sent out of a speaker near their head. His lips were moving and he looked nervous.

"What?" As much as she hated to in the dress, she leaned forward to hear what he was saying. Unfortunately for her, Jeff took this as an open invitation to lean _too _far in to speak a little too closely in her ear than she felt comfortable.

"I said 'You don't look like you're having fun'." He leaned back, waiting for an answer. She felt like clapping and stuffing a cookie in his mouth, but the pictures in tabloids could probably lead to her conveniently disappearing without a trace.

"I'm not much for this sort of thing, Jeff." It was a nice, sort of answer. It didn't say anything about how skeeved she had been when earlier, upon entering, he draped an arm over her shoulder, just as they were passing a large group of paparazzi. Shane had held them off, and for a second she thought she something like jealously flash through his gaze.

Of course, in her head she saw Shane bounding up those stairs, somehow having lost his shirt somewhere as to allow her a view of his gorgeous six pack and pecks, and sweeping her off of her feet with kiss and delivering a roundhouse to Jeff's face before whisking her away. She hadn't gotten very far on _why_ he was doing this or where they were going in her fantasy, but to give herself credit, it was fairly loud and it was distracting. She was sure she'd have hearing damage tomorrow.

"Maybe another night just you and I can go out," Jeff offered, though it was more of a question and it was lamely put, as if he already knew the chances of it happening were exceedingly slim.

Zoe cleared her throat and braced herself before answering. She was hoping to avoid this

"I really don't think it's going to work out, Jeff." Points for trying to sound sincere and apologetic, right?

From the scowl in her direction, she guess otherwise. Zoe shifted nervously. Maybe she'd go join Tessa, cut in, and dance shamelessly like a dork. Losing what little dignity she had left sounded tempting.

"It's that guard, Wolfe, isn't it?"

The tone of his voice made Zoe's stomach feel funny. Not that puppy-rainbow-chocolate kind. The other one. He had had too many drinks, and his earlier attempts at dancing had cumulated in the guards getting him to sit on the couch for a while. She started to shimmy her way, inconspicuously of course, towards the stairs.

"What are you talking about?" was it her imagination of did her voice tremble? Over the music she couldn't tell. Another inch closer.

"You-you," Jeff swallowed. He was closing the distance between where she sat on the edge of the couch and himself. "I could give you, like, anything you wanted, but it wouldn't matter. 'Cuz I'm not him."

"We'll talk about this tomorrow, Jeff, when you've had a little time to sleep off this-"

"No!" he yelled. The guards twitched but didn't move. It was in that instant she realized something that caused her stomach to twist and it made her feel nauseous: the guards were there to protect him from danger, not protect people from him. "Is it his arms? Cuz I could work out. I would. Just tell me, Zoe. Come on."

"Jeff, I just don't like you that way." She pushed off the couch, but almost in the same moment, Jeff had grabbed her arm and forced her to turn towards him. His lips came down forcefully upon hers. Zoe tried to squirm out of his grasp. She took her three inch heel and pressed quickly and forcefully down on his instep.

Then he backhanded her.

For a sickening moment that seemed to go on forever Zoe lurched backwards as she reeled from the blow, her cheek stinging, and her sweaty hands couldn't get a grip on the slick, satin finished purple steel railing. She tilted towards the side and her head seemed to be racing towards the steps too quickly.

"Zoe!" a firm grip on her arms closed around her and she vaguely noted she could smell Shane's cologne. Strong arms were cradling her against a firm chest. He was calling her name.

"Yeah?" her voice cracked. He was whispering very close. "Are you okay?"

"Get me out of here, Shane, _please_," she found herself whimpering.

Flashes of light were becoming more frequent, and as they quickly descended the stairs, Zoe heard people calling questions out to her. Shane kept a protective arm around her as he somehow pushed the way through the crowd.

He pushed past a Secret Service agent who gave him a brisk nod and through a door and they were out in the fresh air and Shane had a hand at her back. They walked briskly around a corner. The shaking wasn't stopping, even as she tried to will it to stop, and it was due to the arm now around her waist that she was able to stay standing. He wrenched a door open.

It was a typical pizzeria, dimly lit with old cracked Formica topped tables and sagging cushions in the booths. Shane steered towards one near the back, away from the windows and sat her down. He returned with a soda from the display case and handed it to her. She placed the chilled bottle against her cheek. Her friend looked away.

"You-you're not wearing your suit," Zoe noticed. Shane looked down at his t-shirt and jeans and back at her. Softly overhead Sinatra was playing.

"I wasn't on duty tonight." He pulled the paprika shaker towards himself and then started pushing it back and forth between his hands. Typical Shane-Avoiding-Eye-Contact Maneuver.

When had he put his jacket on her? She drew the leather around herself greedily, trying to absorb the warmth. "Why were you there then?"

The shaker stopped moving. He wrapped two hands around it and seemed to study it for a minute. "To keep an eye on you." He looked up nervously, as if he didn't want to continue. "I've seen what he gets like when he drinks. Someone had to protect you." Shane looked down. "I should have gotten up those stairs quicker."

"You were reading his lips, weren't you?" He merely nodded.

That meant he probably saw that last part. About him. Zoe played with the bottle.

Shane sighed. "Let's get you home. I'll call a cab and get us back."

It was a twenty minute ride with traffic. About two minutes after the cab pulled away and she was sure that the photographers who they had seen pass the pizzeria weren't following them, she cried.

"Why can't this just be simple?" she asked his shoulder, where her head was. The cab driver looked in his rear view mirror at them, but a quick glare from Shane cut his nosy investigation short.

An arm made it's way around her shoulder and she nestled into the new space. He leaned back to look at her face.

"What is it, Zoe?"

"Just-just all of this. I didn't even _want_ to go out with him, I just sort of-"

Shane glanced at the driver. "Let's save this for the apartment, okay?"

He let them in with the key she handed him, and then the former Navy SEAL quickly swept through each room and checked windows and doors. Zoe say tiredly on the couch, still swimming in his jacket. Finally he sat down, not on the couch, but facing her on the ottoman.

"Do you want to talk?"

"I wasn't paying attention when he asked me out!" she burst, wiping angrily at her face. "I just said 'yes' and I regret it now. Completely and utterly," the blonde young woman finished tiredly. "And I think I screwed things up."

"You? You screwed things up? Zoe, _he_-Jesus, he hit you." Shane stood in a quick fluid movement. He wiped at his face frantically and paced. "I'll kill him."

Zoe disentangled herself from the jacket and the couch, losing a shoe in the process as she grabbed his arm. "You…Shane, he's you're boss, sort of. You have to let it go. I'm fine. Really." To ensure him, she tried to smile. Her side of her face hurt, so it was a bit crooked.

Shane looked at her then, and she could _feel_ it, in her heart. It took every ounce of her strength not to simply cross the room and kiss him senseless.

It was quiet as they stared at one another. He broke the connection when he sighed tiredly and shook his head. "You're not. Not at all. And this has to stop. We both need to stop pretending we're 'fine'." He moved towards her, and for a second Zoe wondered if she should close her eyes and lean forward a little. A hand gently caressed the good side of her face. Guiltily she found herself leaning into it, even though it wasn't what she was expecting.

"I have to go take care of some things," he said resolutely. "I won't be able to jog with you tomorrow; I'll call you, though."

She nodded, entirely confused. Tessa fell through the doorway and was panting heavily, a tornado in Jimmy Choos.

"Are you okay, honey? I tried football tackling Jeff but I couldn't get to him. They were already pushing him out to the limo to avoid the paparazzi. Can you believe that ass? We had to schlep to the subway!"

Shane gave her one last meaningful glance as he let himself out, a look she could not respond to as Tessa had flung herself at the slight blonde and was intent on finding an icepack. One was already in her hand. Was she really that out of it?

Zoe sat back down and let Tessa coddle her. Her brain was slow and sluggish and she seemed to be bumping into things.

* * *

At four in the morning, her phone rang, and Zoe raised herself up on an arm to reach for it. 

There was no one on the other end. At least no one spoke.

Instinctively, she knew it was Shane. Whatever the reason for his self-imposed absence was, she sleepily though, she could only assume it was for the best.

Her head reached the pillow again and she didn't realize she'd fallen asleep in her dress and an icepack in her hand until she woke up to a soggy plastic bag and mascara and glitter streaking her pillow.


	7. ScrewthisI’morderingapizza

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language, mature humor

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

* * *

The phone rang as Zoe was literally placing her keys in the Marilyn Monroe dish near the door. She dropped them unceremoniously with a clatter and reached for the phone.

"'Lo?" she asked, half-hopeful it was Shane.

It was Julie Plummer.

"Honey, we just got back from visiting Seth for the weekend," that was her mother acting calmly as she prepared to strap on her goggles and dive straight into deep-paranoid mom crazy. Zoe closed her eyes in preparation of wincing.

"I just read some rag's cover."

Zoe was still waiting.

"Why the hell didn't you call me? Are you pressing charges? Seth was getting in his car to drive down here from Julliard and kick his a-"

"Kids, mother," Zoe reminded her mother in the nick of time.

"And isn't Shane with that kid every day? Where was he?"

Zoe kept herself from hanging up the phone and pulling the cord out of the wall. "He wasn't even on his shift and he was there. If it wasn't for him catching me you would have had a pile of broken limbs for a daughter. He got me out of there without the paparazzi following me and everything."

Shane already seemed to have an infinite amount of brownie points, and the quick explanation earned him some more.

"And?"

"I really don't think I'm pressing charges."

"What?!"

"First of all, it will be a mere slap on the wrist for him in the end and second, I'm already dealing with the paparazzi as it is. I don't like it. At all."

Her mother sighed, obviously unhappy.

"So what do I need to bring for Thanksgiving?" Knowing full well that she had to bring something really delicious to make up not being home.

"Shane. You. Chocolate cake. A date wouldn't hurt."

"Yeah," Zoe snorted, leaning against the fridge with her back in a way that Tessa said made her look 'haunched and bony', "since right now that's on my top list of priorities."

What would her mom say if two of the things she requested were the same? Would it be weird? Shane was already considered a part of her family, although no true connections had been made between any of the Plummers and Shane to make them siblings. At least she'd know her mom would like him.

The next few minutes were attempts to either stay on the phone or hang up on both their parts, until finally Zoe won out.

The receiver was barely back in its cradle when Tessa padded out of her room, still in her pajamas on her without classes at two in the afternoon. "Did I hear you say something about a hunky guy and chocolate? Darling Zoe, how did you know it's my time of the month?"

"The wrappers you leave decoratively around but not in the bathroom garbage can. Clean it up."

"You wound me," said the girl with a yawn. She took out pizza from the fridge and started to take a bit from a slice. Zoe groaned. Neither probably could say for sure what night it was from. With things as they were, it was better to stay in and order out.

When Zoe went back to class, as another absence could definitely result in failing grades for the semester, she wore oversized sunglasses. Typical, yes, she knew, but even after the triple-team attempts made by Tessa, Jordan, and herself, the purple and yellow skin still showed slightly under the makeup. Georgetown (and all of the students) took all possible precautions to ensure that she wasn't being hounded on campus, but the second she left the property to go to her apartment, it became hellish. Several of her friends-and classmates who before had never really said much to her-even walked with her, creating a thick little pack that took up most of the sidewalk which pushed photographers off the curb.

At least the sunglasses kept the flashes from being too distracting. One day, Tessa forgot to bring a pair of her own glasses and by the time they reached the door, Zoe could see her pupils were contracted to little pinpricks, and she dropped their keys as she tried to fit them to the door. The blonde woman's down turned face became a normal cover, right next to the Holmes-Cruise fiasco and other nonsense.

Jeff had called the house one night and left a phone call. Secret Security with a unmarked, but tinted, car that Zoe could only assume was carrying the boy in it, showed up and tried to get her to allow them to enter. She refused. Any time they came, Shane was not among them. Jeff wasn't in class anymore, but had switched for the rest of the semester to private one-on-one tutoring sessions, a concept that was unheard of for his professors to even consider for the most deserving of students, let alone Jeff.

"The bitch better _really_ apologize," said Jordan one night, nastily, as they sorted through Halloween decorations and prepared Thanksgiving ones. It didn't matter that no one would be in the apartment for the real holiday; prospect of leaving the place without some festive sign of the day was upsetting.

He swung the bright pink children's scissors around on one finger, and Zoe could only assume that Tessa found this a possible endangerment to her new Kate Spade hobo, as the bag was scooted farther away from their friend as the conversation went on.

"I mean, sure, he left a message, and then had his daddy's camp make that big press statement, but the boy hasn't even had the _balls_ to talk to you."

Zoe shrugged, a shoulder popping up out of the oversized neck of the t-shirt. So what if it was one of Shane's and it had somehow ended up at her place? It smelled good and the whim had struck her.

Being head over designer heels for a guy was very difficult when the aforementioned man was _never_ around. It left her nervous as to when she'd bump into him and look a mess in something atrocious like Paul Frank PJ's and fuzzy slippers when she opened the door.

Tessa threw down a paper accordion turkey and stood up. "ScrewthisI'morderingapizza," she muttered.

"Pepperoni, please," sang Jordan, who picked up the turkey and put it to rights effortlessly.

Zoe picked at the shirt, where they 'E' in 'SEALs' had started to crumble off. Maybe he would get the point if she just showed up at his front door in several well-placed 'I Heart a Navy SEAL' stickers and nothing else.

Maybe not. They were hard to find and the whole removal part would be painful.

"I ordered extra cheese and pepperoni," announced the brunette, who plopped back down to wrestle the T.V. remote from Jordan and flip to what she wanted to put on.

Zoe's paper due in two days was long since finished and clipped to the back of her door to ensure she took it with her. With the two on the floor still exchanging quips, Zoe settled onto their purple velvet couch and watched whatever they flipped to.

"I'll get it!" screeched Zoe when the doorbell rang ten minutes later, not that it made a difference. Tessa was stubbornly swearing that 'the bug guy' on CSI was the hottest man on the planet; an idea which apparently Jordan disagreed with. Heartily. They were reaching exceedingly loud levels of 'friendly disagreement'. Zoe stepped over them.

"Alright, how much will it be?" she said as she opened the door, reaching behind it for her wallet to pay.

"I think an acceptable payment can be arranged if this is extra pepperoni and cheese."

Zoe looked up and met Shane's eyes.

She launched herself and pecking him on the cheek, almost causing him to lose the pizza he was holding up with one hand. His coat was speckled with rain drops that glistened under their porch light.

Jordan dropped the cheese doodle in his mouth just as he finally felt he'd won the round, ogling Shane. Tessa grinned madly.

"Can I intrude?" Shane asked. Zoe didn't wait for her friends to say anything involving Shane throwing Zoe over his shoulder and making his way to her room, or anything involving K.Y. Jelly, or-Zoe suddenly frowned. Maybe she had gotten so used to trying to predict what her friends were going to say that she was _worse_ than they were.

"Couch is open," she offered, after he hung up his coat and placed the pizza on the small glass coffee table. Zoe went to get plates, but by the time she'd gotten back, Jordan had already started to eat the pizza over the white shag rug, a heinous crime for which Tessa was yelping at him for.

Shane handed her a slice-one with quite a few more pepperoni slices than the others and offered her a smile. Honestly, if he just smiled like that, why did he expect her to ever _not_ be attracted to him?

They settled into watching a marathon of some television show that Zoe was only half aware of, as having Shane that ridiculously close was proving to be a distraction enough. She tried to keep her distance. A muscular arm wrapped around the back of the couch during the third commercial break, a sign that Zoe took meant she could scoot a little closer.

Honestly, scooting? She was dissolving back into the Garanimals phase again. Ugh.

"Cameras slowing down."

Zoe looked over at him. His fingertips were aggravatingly close to her ear and some of her escaped hairs. He had stated it, not asked. As in he'd been observing.

Who ever said Zoe fell in love with a _normal _guy?

"Um, yeah. Not been as bad. TMZ left Tuesday, which I assume is a good sign. How's the press treating Jeff?" Saying his name wasn't as hard as it had been before, when the ache in her cheekbone would flare up with the memory.

Shane looked down at her two friends on the floor for a moment. She glanced down as well. Apparently having worn themselves out bickering, the two were passed out on the floor. Miraculously, Jordan had _not_ gotten grease on the carpet. Zoe laughed.

"They are a lot cuter when they are asleep," her fellow couch occupant said seriously, to which Zoe let out something that sounded like a giggle.

"Enjoy it while it lasts," she said, severely. "Once they start walking it's _all_ over."

His fingers traced the upholstery button before he looked up to say "I wouldn't know about Jeff as I am no longer working for him."

"What!?" she shrieked, only remembering afterward that her friends were passed out on the floor. She gestured him to follow her into her room.

It was only once they were in there that she remembered she'd never cleaned today. A bra was hanging on the edge of a chair in lieu of an actual drying rack and her recently female purchases were still in their Eckerd bag. She kicked the latter under her bed and flung the former into the closet.

Shane closed the door behind him before she let her questions explode.

"What!?" she repeated, and when he didn't answer instantaneously, she continued. "Did Jeff get you fired. I swear, I will _wring_ his neck if that is the case. The very idea that he would do something like that just because-" and at that she slowed down trying to figure out how to finish it instead of saying 'that I am butt crazy in love with you'. Luckily, Shane started to talk.

"His Secret Service detail is getting changed up over the next few months. I volunteered to be the first to go. They're very much aware of what happened and why it should _never_," and he said it so bitterly, "happen again. Ever."

He sat on her bed before continuing. "Plus, I was offered this job earlier this year…a few, actually." Zoe sat down in her desk chair and waited. He leaned forward and it was only then that she could see how excited he was.

"The Field Office, Zoe."

She tried, she really did, to figure out what he meant. Biting her lip, she looked at him imploringly.

"This is a good thing, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, really, really _good_, Zoe. It means I'll have an office here in D.C., it pays a hell of a lot better. I never thought I would want something like this but I do and I think this move will be a good one."

"No more taking care of bratty kids, huh?"

"Only one was." He added "And he was an adult, really."

"So what exactly is this office, in a field, in D.C.?" she questioned, playing with a paper clip that was out on her desk.

"It's a part of the NCIS, and-"

"Make sure that that fact doesn't come up in conversation in front of Tessa; we won't be able to remove her from your person."

He actually threw a pillow at her for that. "Can I finish?"

Zoe waved him on grandly.

"They have a position for me in the Counterintelligence. It's-this is _huge_, Zoe."

His happiness was infectious. "This is excellent, Shane." She moved to the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around his middle. "I'm so happy for you. And proud."

Slowly, the weight of his arms settled at the small of her back. From here, nestled at his shoulder, he smelled wonderfully.

There was a silence there for a moment or two. One she really didn't want to break. This was what she wanted, this sort of thing with him: talking at two in the morning openly and holding on to one another.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Shane," she sighed into his shoulder. She didn't think he had heard her. He tensed for a moment, and then cleared his throat.

"I might." He leaned back a bit, hitting his shoulders against her headboard. His eyes seemed darker as he noticed what she was wearing. "That's my shirt."

Could the floor open and swallow her now? "Oh, well, I thought it was something else when I pulled it on," Zoe said casually, but then rushed forward. "But I'll wash it tomorrow and give it back. Not sure how it got here, actually."

He shook his head. "Keep it."

Zoe couldn't help but grin at what he said next. "It looks better on you, anyway."

A loud snore from the other room caught Zoe's attention, and it seemed to catch Shane's. He stood up, slowly.

"I've got a lot of paperwork to fill out tomorrow, so I should probably get going."

They said a myriad of niceties at the doorway, neither seeming to want to really say 'goodnight'. Until finally Zoe moved forward to kiss him on the cheek goodbye. Normally she could have chalked it up to her being cold and tired and nervous and starting to shiver or something, but she felt it as her lips pressed against the side of his face.

His head twitched a little, and her lips came to close on the very corner of his mouth.

Still waiting for the earth to hurry up any time soon and actually let her melt through the floor, Zoe jerked backwards, mumbled a quick last goodbye, and shut the door.

* * *

A.N.: Check my profile for lots of new stuff, and go check out the forum! I will try to respond to every review I get from here on out. Also, once this story hits 10000 hits, there will be a mix cd. It's pretty, guys... 


	8. Vittorio's, Victoria's, and the Tomb

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

* * *

The next few days went by in a blur, punctuated only by very frequent calls from Shane. They spent hours on the phone and when they literally bumped into each other on the subway they ended up going to lunch together. 

It lasted two hours.

They both split the bill, although he insisted otherwise, and that had made the chocolate-butterflies-and-maybe-puppies thing happen to Zoe. But if he _really_ did want to ask her out, she wasn't going to 'accidentally' go on one, or end up on one without him asking. Even if they were far from normal in every other way, she wanted at least _that_ much to be normal.

Saturday came bright and early with a phone call from her mother, calling her to say she'd meet her at Union Station in twenty minutes and to look nice.

"Fine," she said, rolling out of bed and purposely picking up sweatpants from the day before. "But you're spending the $1.99 for my gelato at Vittorio's."

The gelato was fantastic. The rest of the day wasn't.

She was dragged to store after store. The bus and train traffic would mingle with them at definitive intervals and Julie Plummer acted surprised every time. Didn't Zoe's mother realize this place was a tourist trap?

It wasn't until her mother was inspecting a rack of underwear at Victoria's Secret that she finally started to talk about what she had driven all the way to D.C. for the day to talk about.

"So I thought we'd pick up some new underwear for you while we're here."

Zoe turned as red as the sweatpants she was standing next to. "And why would we do that, exactly?"

Her mother spent the time to fold back up the shirt she'd pulled out to inspect, avoiding eye contact. "Well, I'm sure you are going to start dating and when it comes around to it I'd rather know my daughter isn't walking around in old underwear." All of this was said matter-of-factly as Zoe picked up a stuffed dog and hid her face behind it.

"Oh my God, Mom!"

The older woman turned, oblivious. "What? I understand you are a grown, beautiful young woman and that while certain people are complete asses that deserve to be throttled within an inch of their life, there are other young men out there worth your time."

And that was when her mother dropped the big bomb.

"Like Shane, for example," she said airily before moving onto the back room, past a tub of ridiculously big bras on clearance. A group of teenagers were putting them on their heads and taking pictures without sparing a glance at Zoe. Zoe was happy to have forgotten to put on makeup. Most of the times she'd been photographed she'd been wearing quite a bit of it to cover up the bruise. It was all but gone now and the area was no longer tender. At the moment she was still gaping at her mother.

"You did not just say that!" she cried.

Julie Plummer turned around. "I did, and I meant it. If that is the case, which I think it is, I'm giving my seal of approval."

Which was something she'd been worried about, but seriously? Like this?

Zoe numbly picked at a rhinestone covered DD that was fuchsia. "I just never thought about it," she said numbly. Her mother glared.

"Do not lie to your mother. I know that when you were younger, perhaps the thought wasn't prevalent, but I _know_ my children. Adopted or otherwise."

"It's not weird? I mean, the idea of us-the _hypothetical_ idea of us being…'us'?"

"My phone calls are always to both of you at the same time, Zoe. You spend more time with him than you spent on the cheerleading team and I can always tell when he's around because you're happy." Her mother said simply. "And he is, too."

Zoe couldn't help but be very 'happy' with that last little addition. "But I mean, you think of him as another child-"

"And you don't think of him like a brother-at least I hope not." Her mother's sidelong glance spoke enough on its own.

"No!"

"It's not some young, rich med or law student, like most moms hope for, but he's a good man. And he treats you well." Julie Plummer picked up a black lace bra and put it back with a sigh. "I guess what I am trying to say, after all of this rambling, is that if he does ask you out, please don't think that you should say no because you think I wouldn't be comfortable with it."

Zoe felt her eyes tearing as she wrapped her arms around her mother. By her mother's breathing she could tell she was the same way. They pulled back, and it was in that instant Zoe realized she and her mother looked very much alike, although Zoe's face wasn't creased with the same, barely noticeable wrinkles or worry lines or furrow in her brow from years of concern and hours of labor.

"So how about these?" Zoe said, holding up a barely-passing scrap of cloth that was supposed to be a thong. Her mother's eyes widened.

"Come on, honey. I'm trying to be open minded here but that is just pushing it."

Zoe was in the middle of highlighting a sentence of her textbook when Tessa came flying into her room, indignant. Surprised, Zoe's highlighter flew off the page, leaving behind a bright pink line.

"You went to Victoria's Secret _without_ me?" the girl in the doorway cried, brandishing tweezers threateningly. Zoe capped the highlighter; she had been hoping to formulate how exactly she was going to go about retelling her friend what had happened. Maybe write it down on paper. Rehearse it a few times.

"Oh, well, my mother came up to visit and took me to Union Station." Maybe that would the end of it.

Or not.

"Alright, so what exactly did your mom want to talk about? She doesn't come up just to take you out for new underwear."

Damn, her friend was good. Zoe fiddled with the smooth pink plastic in her hand.

"Well, she was giving me the all clear to date somebody."

"As in Shane?" Tessa said nonplussed.

Zoe looked up. "Exactly," she groaned. "Do you know how embarrassing that was? Right there, in the _bra_ section!"

"Well, it's not like she really had a say. At this very moment you could be over at Shane's place doing it on every surface. Oh, that reminds me, I _did _clean the bathroom after Richard and I were done." At Zoe's blank horrified look she suddenly got nervous. "Oh, you didn't know about that? Um, well…anyway back to the subject of you…So has he asked you yet?"

"No." Zoe was still digesting what she'd just heard.

"Would've been nice to see your mom react differently. I mean, I wanted to kinda see her flip out on the two of you over the Thanksgiving turkey or something."

"Oh gee, thanks oodles, nympho." Zoe glared at her roommate. Tessa shrugged.

"Just saying," she said defensively. "Well, I guess now is a good time to say that a delivery just came to the door. For you."

"Hmm, said Zoe, trying to get back into reading. It was probably an apology gift from jeff. A few had come over the past week or so. She dropped off the food baskets and other items at shelters, although Tessa and Jordan had hoarded the wine.

"It's from Shane."

She was off her bed and flying down the small set of stairs in an instant, her robe flying behind her as she scuffed and skidded around a corner.

If she thought the flowers last time were a large bouquet, they were nothing compared to the sight in front of her.

She wondered how they delivery had gotten through the door. There were more roses than she could count, but interspersed were daisies.

Daisies.

The flower he'd plucked and stuck in her hair playfully just weeks before on one of their jogs had been a daisy. It was still sitting in-between two textbooks from last semester that she had not turned in yet, to be pressed. The flower she'd always secretly loved more than others.

It maybe wasn't the most beautiful arrangement that a person had seen, but it was _perfect_ to her. She pulled out the note that was sitting on the kitchen table next to it.

_Zoe,_

_I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner tonight at eight. _

_Yes, as on a date._

_Dress as beautifully as you always do, if you do decide to pity the poor man who is again being stared at by the Evil Flower Woman and decide to accept; it's a surprise._

_Optimistic despite is chances,_

_Shane_

"You know, this is going to be a problem for eating at the table," came Tessa's voice from the other side of the flowers. Zoe grabbed the phone and dialed Shane's number without truly thinking about it.

"Zoe," he asked, his voice cracking and the girl in question had to keep herself from laughing.

"Where are you?"

"I'm actually just leaving a lunch with some of my new coworkers at Tombs. What's the matter?"

"I'm coming!"

Zoe was almost out the door before she realized she was wearing her pajamas, robe, and slippers, she tore up the stairs and found sweatpants and a tee-shirt. Still hopping as she left, she jammed her feet into the first pair of non-heels she found.

She realized they were lime green Converses as she rounded the corner.

Shane was standing in a suit at the entrance to Tombs, looking fantastic and worried. To give herself credit, she did make sure that his coworkers were still not there before running head on into him.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, arms catching her at the elbows. She was out of breath, hair disheveled and completely ecstatic.

"Everything's great. I got your delivery."

"Oh, alright," he said nervously. P.J. peeked out the door to see who had flown by, but after seeing Zoe, went back inside. "So will I be see-"

"Ask me," she said, feeling happy and light. "Ask me right here, in person, Shane."

Shane licked his lips, eyes growing serious before he cleared his throat.

"Zoe, would you go out with me tonight?"

And her heart soared.


	9. Perfect

**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author: **Rose With Thorns

**Rating: **T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

_To Latisha C. (whom I pray is safe), and Cloudburst2000, my super reviewers_

_And of course to Nina28, whose enthusiasm has been spurring me on._

* * *

They went to the theater on their first date.

"He's here!" screamed Tessa from the couch, watching the well-built man take the steps quickly.

Zoe tripped down the stairs, still zipping the side of her dress with one hand and keeping herself from falling down the stairs with the other. That would be great, _finally_ go on a date and fall down the stairs and break something seconds before.

Jordan twittered behind her, spraying sporadically with a hair spray can. Zoe slapped his hand away.

"But the bangs!" he cried, stricken. "Since I'm living vicariously through you, you _must_ let me fix those flyaways!"

"I think he might notice if my head lights on fire from all of this shellac if there's candles. Give it a rest." She sighed, smoothed her dress and turned towards the living room. Richard was sitting with Tessa on his lap.

"Ooheespretty," said Tessa. Richard gave her a little nod.

"Lookin' good, Zo," he called.

"Don't listen to him," said Jordan pushing her towards the door. "He's straight. You look fabulous."

Zoe opened the door and stopped herself from skittering on the tiles, Shane looked up from his shoes. His eyes widened and his mouth opened as if he was going to speak. Nothing came out.

"Is it too much?" Zoe panicked, looking down at the dark blue brocade dress. Granted, it was a little shorter than necessary, but her shrug was covering her bare shoulders and her hair was up in a loose bun, curls messy and yes, flying away. Oh God, what if they were going bowling?

However, Shane's navy blue suit spoke otherwise. She noticed that his tie was cornflower blue. He'd picked his tie to match her eyes. She bit her lip for a second.

"I just-wow," he breathed. "You look-"

"Gorgeous? Fabulous? Delicious?" offered Jordan from somewhere behind Zoe, although at the moment she was not going to turn around.

"Beautiful," he finally said in a hushed voice and Zoe felt her smile widen, if that was even possible.

"I like the suit," she stuttered out, lightly touching his shoulder. He caught her hand and kissed it. Zoe's cheeks flushed pleasantly.

"Don't do anything with him I wouldn't do if I were in those Manolo Blahnik D'Orsay peep pumps of yours and-"

"You're not, she is, and if that had changed I'd be running the other way," said Zoe's date, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Goodnight, Jordan!" she called over her shoulder.

It was _Sound of Music_ and all the while Shane mouthed along. He held her hand, stroking the side of it with his thumb absent-mindedly. Zoe blushed every time, without fail, when he would raise their joined hands and kiss the back of hers.

Dinner afterward was in a beautiful Italian restaurant that neither had been to before. They were seated in a booth towards the back-out of the way from any leftover photographers.

"I have something to admit to you," Shane said apologetically as they sat down. Zoe's hand froze, hovering between the table and her lap, pristine white linen sticking out of her hand. She waited because if he said something about this being a giant misunderstanding, quite frankly she'd stab his hand with a fork.

The salad one of course. She _had_ been raised well.

He leaned forward. "I haven't been on a date in a very long time and have _no_ idea what I'm supposed to talk about here."

Relieved, Zoe leaned forward, conscientious of the cut of the front of her dress. "I don't know either," she whispered conspiratorially. "So how about we talk like we normally do and skip that part of First Date 101?"

It was good Italian food, the kind that was really hard to find but completely worth the price, not that she got to see the check at the end of the meal. Shane scooped it up before she could so much as blink.

"_Where_ did you learn this?" she said as they were walking down a street in Georgetown near the water's edge and he'd put his jacket over her shoulders. Shane looked over at her.

"Learn what?"

"This! This perfect gentleman-who-sends-flowers-at-the-drop-of-a-hat-dresses-perfectly thing?"

He looked upset. "Where the flowers too much? I thought-"

"No! No they were perfect," she said, stopping. "I just-I want to know you. You know so much about me and I just-I just suddenly feel like I don't know much about you. Who taught you this or where did you learn it or-or anything. I just want to know you, Shane Wolfe. Because I do, here," she pointed at her heart. "But I want to know you here."

"But you've got so much up there already," he said, look softening and tapping a finger on her forehead. She scrunched her nose up at him, but became serious when her eyes met his. "You said you know me in your heart." It was quiet, but she heard it.

"I did. And I mean it."

He studied her face for a minute. "My mother."

She waited, because that was the only thing she could do.

"She told my dad that he ignored her and took her for granted. That if he'd only remembered every once in a while to send her flowers or take her out or pay attention to her, they could have saved their marriage. I just, I don't want to lose you."

Zoe felt it, felt it in her heart and impulsively she wound her arms around his waist, cheek against his strong warm chest that held his quickly-beating heart. His arms came around her, tracing a hypnotic path across the back of his jacket that she felt through the layers.

"I'm not leaving you; I'm not her." She wanted it to sound as firm and definite as she felt it. But then she pushed back a little to be able to look at him. "But you don't need to go bankrupt sending me beautiful, _perfect_ flowers. You saving my life and being here and saying wonderful things…that's more than enough for me."

"Zoe," he breathed, and closed the distance between them.

Kissing him was like everything and nothing of what she thought it would be. It was all love and sweet and tender and raw and just the very idea that she, Zoe Plummer, was _finally_ kissing Shane Wolfe, was enough for her heart to beat quickly and for her to have to lean against the back of a bench behind her.

They only stopped when the mutual lack of oxygen was becoming apparent.

Shane's warm brown eyes were dilated and she didn't even want to _think_ about her hair, as at some point one of his strong warm hands had been at the base of her head. Tonight there were no hairpins, so she shouldn't expect any large life changes.

Shane looked embarrassed. "That was pretty forward."

"I liked it." When had she become so blunt? Somewhere in between him saying her name and kissing her, that's where.

Shane sat on the bench as if he had no energy to move, head suddenly in his hands. "I just do _not_ want to screw this up."

"Me neither, but I think we've both sort of taken turns delaying it: you and that whole 'dead' thing, and then me with my good ol' denial. She sat down next to him, taking a hold of his hand. She looked down at it.

Really _looked_ at it.

It was a warm and strong hand, the sort that was powerful and could do a lot of good, as his did. Scars from things she didn't quite want to know about only added to the whirls and loops playing upon it. The sort of hand she wanted to always have holding hers.

"I'm thinking of words," she whispered. "Three of them, even if it is a little too early to say them."

Shane looked up, handsome and kind and good and just a little out of his element. He smiled. "I think of them a lot, too. Have for a while." He got up with a sigh. "Don't know if I mean them _entirely_ yet. So I'm not going to say them yet."

He helped her up. "Well, me neither." With a sigh, she looked out at the water and the traffic and city. "Getting late."

"Less late, actually." Shane glanced down at his diver's watch. "Better get you home. Or I'll have your mom, your two best friends and one of their boyfriends to deal with."

"They _all_ called me before this, you know. The list of threats I got range from vague to finite."

With a groan Zoe buried her head into his shoulder. "Remind me to kill them tomorrow. _All_ of them."

They walked back, hand in hand, to her home, and he kissed her soundly at the door. She twirled in lightheaded and feeling as if the smile on her face could light up at least half the city.

"Soooo?" it was long and drawn out, as if it was allowing Tessa to let out some of the help back anticipation. Zoe smirked and pulled off her shoes.

"It was _perfect_!"

A shrill, feminine and child like squeal erupted from the couch facing the TV. Jordan's head appeared, mouth full of food.

"Details, and I mean _now_, not like last time," he demanded, mouth full of food.

She started to tell them.

* * *

A/N: Hey, to everyone with Livejournals: my website link now takes you to my community on Livejournal, which anyone can post in who has a question or comment or wants to see a little more about me. Also, I started a forum here on the site, also linked. Right now both are the superspecialStrangeLittleSwirlandNina28!Shows, so come on out and see what it's like. There's even a preview pic of the mix...Please review!

* * *


	10. Nervous About Not Being Nervous

-1**Title: She's Leaving Home**

**Author:**Rose With Thorns

**Rating:**T, for language

**Summary:** Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…

* * *

"So," he said slowly and Zoe twisted at the tissue in her hand. From the somberness of the room, one would think it was a funeral.

She cleared her throat, and the sound seemed harsh. "You have a very beautiful, erm, home. Very white."

"Well, they don't call it the White House for nothing."

She clenched her teeth. Why the _hell_ had she agreed to this? He was the one who was apologizing.

"Listen, Jeff, I am going to be perfectly frank; unless you start saying what you want to say, my nice streak will fizz out quite quickly, and I will leave." Ultimatums. Wonderful things.

He sighed and looked extremely uncomfortable in his chair, and she wasn't sure if it was because the chair or the whole situation.

"I want to start off by saying that I know what I did was wrong, and inexcusable." Those words were easy for him, she knew, because he had said them on T.V. a week ago. Involuntarily, she felt her lips press together firmly, in a sign of distaste.

"I'm in anger management therapy right now, and my father says that if I'm going to continue at Georgetown, then I can't go out, and that my new guards are going to be on really strict instructions not to let me drink or anything and um, well, I think that I am officially scared shitless to do something like that again."

Still no real apology.

And then Jeff's shoulders dropped, he leaned forward, and Zoe realized that this was the first time she was _really_ seeing him.

"And I am so, so, exceedingly sorry for what I did. I still don't know why you didn't press charges-I _know_ why you didn't, I mean-but I just wanted you to know that I would have pleaded guilty. Regardless of what my dad wanted."

Words were failing her. She felt a little nauseous but she nodded at him, attempting a smile. Her head felt heavy with the movement.

Jeff automatically looked relieved.

* * *

"You're amazing, you know that, right?" said Shane over dinner. They were in his apartment, both in sweats, having been out jogging earlier, and now overcompensating for the burned calories with home-made spaghetti. Zoe looked up from twirling pasta around her fork, confused.

"If I wasn't convinced before, I now realize you really are Saint Zoe. Most people would not have even answered the phone."

"I didn't, for weeks." Shane had put on some jazz music, and a long note was being held over a swelling orchestra piece. A large, warm hand covered hers from the other side of the small kitchen table.

"But you did, and you went, and forgave him."

Zoe shook her head with a sigh, bumping his legs with hers as she shifted her feet under the table, she threaded her fingers through his, contemplating their laced fingers. "I didn't. I didn't say it, because I _haven't_ yet. I think I might eventually, but for now…" She shrugged.

"That is better than he deserves."

Zoe looked up at her boyfriend- was that even the right word for what he was to her? Those three words almost popped out again, suddenly. It was happening more often.

Shane looked up, and she fixed her gaze on her plate.

"The plate isn't really that good with conversation, last time I checked," he said. "What's the matter?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that this is all too perfect?" she blurted out, and Shane didn't even look surprised. "I mean, my friends and yours, they were perfectly fine with this, and then my _mother_ is completely fine with it-"

"Well, I did discuss it with her before we went out."

"And the whole idea of the holidays hasn't even started to make me nervous. Shouldn't I be nervous? Because I thought girls are supposed to be nervous about bringing home their boyfriends the first time. Granted, it's not like it's your first time, but you know what I mean…" she trailed off and poked at a glob of tomato, then she looked up, as red as the vegetable-or was it a fruit?- she had been assaulting.

"And I didn't mean it like _that_."

When she saw Shane trying to hide a smile by taking another bite, Zoe let out a sigh. "I'm just so afraid that we won't be able to handle problems once they make themselves know, since we have gotten on so well up until now."

"Couples fight. We will probably fight," Shane sensibly answered, getting up and taking her plate before she could protest. "And about pretty senseless things, too."

"And then what will happen? Be warned, I get all red and splotchy when I get angry. I'm not pretty."

"No, you're beautiful," Shane said, leaning over where she was seated, kissing her thoroughly. "Always beautiful."

He led her into the living room, where they collapsed onto the sofa. He looked down at her, contently.

"I understand that you are nervous about not being nervous," he said with a small laugh. "I feel the same way. I realized how close the holidays are. And I want you to know that I will understand if you want to hold off telling the rest of your family until another point. I respect that." He captured her hand, which had been playing with a loose string on his otherwise pristine white sweatshirt and pressed a kiss into it.

"But be prepared for me to be talking about some impossibly wonderful girl that I'm dating, whose entirely too attractive to be allowed with a personality that only enhances her already flawless beauty, though."

"In which case I'd talk about that smokin' hot guy I have been dating, who causes all other potential dates to pale in comparison, what with his intelligence, and his looks, and his muscles."

"They're not included with the looks?" he asked, before kissing her. She smiled as their lips separated.

"Those things could qualify for their own social security number, sweetheart," she said before reaching up to kiss him again. "But seriously, what is going to happen if we fight?"

"We will get through it. As long as we remember that we care about each other, at the end of the day, and that the point is not to hurt each other, there shouldn't be any problems. And if you ever want to break it off-" he said, suddenly serious, and Zoe stilled, looking up to see Shane Wolf more sad than she had ever thought possible.

"Never," she whispered. "Don't even finish that sentence, Shane Wolf."

"-Then we would break it off. No matter what you do, I think I will always love you."

And those words broke her down. Zoe was sure her heart was about to burst right out of her chest. Her lips parted and she took in the smallest of breaths, before he stopped the words.

"Don't say them right now," he whispered, as if this moment was so secret and private that even sharing it with the walls would corrupt it somehow. She swallowed and nodded.

With what she could only describe as a happy sigh, her boyfriend settled back into the pillows, and Zoe nestled into her spot in front of him, his arm curling around her hip, the remote within reachable distance for both. After a few moments, Zoe looked up from the television to his deep brown eyes.

"Shane, will you spend Christmas with my family and I?" she asked. Even if she knew the answer, it was important to ask him formally.

He smiled.

* * *

A.N. I am _so_ sorry that I haven't updated in so long! Explanations will be able to be found in Swirl's Scribbles (my homepage). Reviews are like cookies. And I could use those right now. 


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